In the operation of heat engines, in particular internal combustion engines, the presence of impurities and water in the fuel can seriously compromise the proper operation and life not only of the constituent members of the fuel feed system, i.e. the carburation members if a conventional carburetor is present, or the injectors if direct or indirect injection systems are used, but also of the engine itself.
Filters are currently located in the fuel feed pipe to filter out the solid impurities present in the fuel, but these filters of conventional structure are unable to remove the water from the fuel.
This water can either be present in the fuel when supplied, or can collect subsequently due to condensation of the moisture in the air present in the tank.
The presence of large water droplets in the fuel feed circuit has various consequences, such as low efficiency, non-uniform operation (misfiring), irregular idling, starting difficulties and oxidation of surfaces. Moreover, this water tends to accumulate in said filters making it necessary to periodically drain them and also leading to rapid deterioration of the filtering surfaces.
There is therefore a need for providing the fuel feed circuit of an internal combustion engine with a device which not only provides filtration but also prevents water accumulating by dispersing it in the fuel in a controlled manner so as not to reduce the engine efficiency, but instead to obtain the positive contribution which it provides if emulsified as a fine dispersion within the fuel.